Nightmares
by Winekita
Summary: Everyone has nightmares. Everyone needs comfort from them. One-shot. T for mentions and proof of abuse.


_**The Keys story I am writing gave me a hurt kind of feeling, so I'm going to post this story.**_

_**Slight BoO spoiler in here:**_

_**Leo mentioned that he had an abusive foster mother named Teresa in BoO, so I decided to elaborate a bit on Leo's psychological trauma. It's not much. I may add more to it later, but for now...**_

_**Here you go.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids are mine.**_

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><p>Calypso woke up to a prodding to her cheek. She groaned and opened an eye.<p>

Tiny Festus Mark 1 (otherwise known as Happy the prototype miniature security Festus) was prodding her cheek with its teeny claw. It opened its jaw and Calypso heard Tulio screaming, "Mommy!" through a speaker in its throat.

Calypso shot out of bed, not caring if she woke Leo up (she didn't). She rushed out of the room and ran down the hall.

When she burst into the twins' room she took in the situation. Tulio was curled up in a ball, cuddling his pillow, weeping and crying out in his sleep.

Espie was in her bed a few feet away, rubbing her eyes. She was grumbling, "Shush, Tui!"

Calypso hurried over to Tulio and picked him up. The boy was getting hot, his internal temperature rising. "Shh, shh," Calypso cooed. "It's okay. Mommy's got you, Tulio. I'm right here."

Tulio lifted his head and looked up with puffy, tired eyes. "M-Mommy…?"

Calypso smiled. "Right here, Tulio. Did you have a nightmare?"

He nodded. "Uh-huh…"

"It's okay."

"Bad…"

"Everybody has nightmares, sweetie." Calypso kissed Tulio on the head. "It helps to not freak out after you wake up."

Tulio's lower lip trembled. The Titaness kissed him again.

"Talking about it helps," Calypso said softly. "What was the dream?"

The three-year-old sniffed. "_P-Papi_…"

"What about him?"

"_Papi…Papi_ asplode!"

"Oh, it's okay, Tulio!"

"No!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face. "_Papi_ asplode on Festus! Big boom!"

Calypso cooed at him as best she could, but he kept describing the scene of Leo's death—one that Leo had described to her years before. Poor Tulio had dreamed of it!

"Okay," she said. "Wanna sleep with me and _Papi_ tonight?"

"_Papi_ no asplode?"

"He's perfectly fine," she promised.

Tulio sniffled and nodded. "Sleep with _Papi_."

Calypso motioned for Espie to follow her as she carried her son back out into the hall.

Suddenly, just as she was about to enter the master bedroom, she heard Leo whimper. She pushed open the door with her foot.

Leo was writhing around on the bed, tossing and turning in his sleep. He looked like he was in pain.

Calypso heard him cry out, "No! Please don't! Please!"

He arched his back as if he had been struck. He cried out in pain.

Calypso set Tulio down and ran to Leo's side. She maneuvered herself into the bed and embraced the son of Hephaestus before he caught fire. She somehow got him to sit up with her and they sat together on the bed.

Eventually Leo settled down, his head resting on Calypso's shoulder. He was shuddering, but seemed a bit more stable.

Calypso felt bad. She had always been there immediately for Leo when he had a nightmare—which had been frequent for a while after he had rescued her from Ogygia. The fact that she hadn't been there for him now…it hurt her to see him in pain.

She accidentally let her hand fall down his back. Leo tensed up and whimpered.

_Oh…_Calypso realized. _It was _that_ dream._

"I'm here," she cooed. "It's just me. You're not in that house. You're home. In Houston."

"Houston…" he repeated in a small voice.

"Yes," she said. "In Houston with your wife and kids."

"N…Not Las Cruces…?"

"Nowhere near that horrible place," Calypso confirmed. She slid her hand across the belt-shaped scar on Leo's lower back. He tensed for a moment, but Calypso stroked it again and again. Leo relaxed and sighed.

"Sorry…" he whimpered.

Calypso kissed Leo's neck and hair. "Not your fault. I should have been here sooner."

It took a minute before he answered. "Where were you?" he asked softly. It wasn't a demand. Just a general question.

Calypso guided Leo's head in the direction of the door, where the twins were standing.

"Tulio had a nightmare, too," she explained. "He dreamed that you exploded on Festus."

Leo flinched. He shakily got up from the bed and stumbled over to the twins. He embraced both of them tightly, his form shaking.

"Sorry you had to see that, guys," he said.

Espie smiled. "Mommy said ev'ybody gets nightmares."

"_Papi_ have nightmare, too?" Tulio asked.

Leo nodded. "Yes. _Papi_ had a nightmare, too."

"What about?"

Leo didn't answer or move.

Espie poked him in the shoulder. "Mommy said talk helps."

"I tell mine," Tulio said flatly. "Then you tell yours. 'Kay?"

Leo nodded again. "Alright."

"I dream _Papi_ asplode. You on Festus and crying."

Leo wiped a lock out of Tulio's face. "Aw…it's okay, _mijo_. Don't cry."

Tulio sniffled at the memory of the bad dream. "You no do that?"

"I promise that won't happen," Leo said. Calypso caught the hidden '_again_' at the end of the promise. She knew Leo wouldn't ever do something as extreme as killing a primordial ever again, so making that promise wasn't going to be hard to keep.

"Now you," Tulio demanded. "I better now. Now you say bad dream."

Leo sighed. "Okay."

He removed his black Rolling Stones T-shirt and put his back to the twins.

Calypso leaned down beside him. "Kids," she said. "See that thick line on _Papi_'s back?"

They nodded. Tulio went to touch it.

"Not yet, Tulio," Calypso said.

"Scar," Espie noted.

"Yes," Leo whispered.

"It's a scar from when your _Papi_ was younger. You see, your father didn't have a single home like you two. He was sent to a mean home where…where they didn't like his fire."

"But _Papi_'s fire good!" Tulio protested.

"Yes," Calypso said. "But the lady that took him in didn't think so. She thought there was…badness…in him. So…she used a big belt to…"

Espie and Tulio gasped and stared at the belt-shaped scar. Leo sighed.

"Go ahead," he said.

Tulio took the hint and gently touched the scar. Espie didn't, still staring at it. Leo shivered, but stayed silent.

Calypso took his hand. Leo smiled at her.

"It hurt?" Tulio asked.

"A long time ago," Leo explained. "And sometimes I still have bad dreams about it."

"Like tonight?"

"Like tonight."

Tulio shuffled around Leo and hugged his side. Espie did the same. Calypso hugged around the kids. Leo smiled and returned the group hug.

"Feel better now?" Espie asked.

"Yes," Leo said. "_Papi_'s okay now. Thank you for helping me, kids."

The whole Valdez family moved their cuddle-group to the bed and maneuvered their way under the covers. Calypso and Espie were laying on one end of the bed, Leo and Tulio the other.

Tulio had his short arms wrapped around Leo's midsection. His fingers brushed against the scar that Leo had received from Teresa.

Leo didn't shudder at the touch. He actually scooted closer to Tulio, letting the boy brush it more. The feeling anchored the son of Hephaestus down into reality, reminding him that he was no longer a scared little orphan. He wasn't going to get beaten by his abusive foster mother Teresa.

He was safe and sound in Houston, with his family.

And the nightmares didn't visit him or Tulio again for a long time after that night.

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><p><em><strong>AN: There. I'm gonna go to work now.**_

_**By the way, this was meant to take place in the **_**Papi_ v2 timeline. Meaning the Valdez family has not met up with the Seven yet, since they are still in Houston._**


End file.
